Word of the Day

: July 16, 2008

belvedere

noun BEL-vuh-deer

What It Means

: a structure (as a cupola or a summerhouse) designed to command a view

belvedere in Context

On summer evenings, guests at the estate often joined their hosts in the belvedere to watch the sunset.

Did You Know?

It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder -- and someone with a belvedere will likely have a great deal of beauty to behold. Given the origins of the word, "belvedere" is the ideal term for a building (or part of a building) with a view; it derives from two Italian words, "bel," which means "beautiful," and "vedere," which means "view." The term has been used in English since at least 1593.